Something Good Can Work
by shadowfire125
Summary: Benny becomes a part of Bad Cop's life. Bad Cop doesn't really have a say in it. Sequel to 'Grace'.
1. Chapter 1

_Ah yes here we go a multi-chapter coppernauts fic. and by multi i mean like probably 3 max._

* * *

After Benny had broken in to talk to him and Bad Cop had ended up blubbering in his arms, he half-hoped he wouldn't see the Master Builder again, but he also half-hoped he would. He did his best to stamp out that half.

A couple days went past, but then Bad Cop woke up one morning to clattering in the kitchen and the smell of bacon. For the muddled second between sleep and wakefulness, he thought he was at his parents' home in the countryside. Then awareness hit him like a lightning bolt and he shot out of bed and ran to the living room. The clutter that had slowly been returning was gone. He stormed into the kitchen to find Benny at the stove, prodding at a pan full of bacon with a spatula. The kitchen, which had also been a mess, was spotless.

Bad Cop opened and closed his mouth like a fish, then finally managed, "What the _brick_?"

Benny jumped a little in surprise, then looked over and grinned. He had his helmet on with the visor open, but instead of his space suit, he was wearing a blue T-shirt with the same symbol and faded jeans that shouldn't have survived past the '80s. His feet were bare and a couple inches off the floor. "Morning, B!" he said brightly.

"What do you think you're doing?" Bad Cop choked out.

"Making breakfast," Benny replied. He didn't say 'duh,' but Bad Cop heard it anyway.

"I can see _that_," Bad Cop said. "My question is why are you doing it _here_?"

"Last time I saw you, you looked like you hadn't had a decent meal in a while," Benny said, sliding the bacon out of the pan and onto a plate. "So I did a bit of shopping."

"You did _what_?" Bad Cop near-yelled.

"I couldn't even figure out what some of that stuff in your fridge was," Benny continued as if he hadn't heard.

Bad Cop crossed to the refrigerator and yanked the door open. It had been fully restocked.

There was a clink behind him. He turned to see Benny setting two plates down on the small, round table in the middle of the kitchen. Eggs, bacon, toast. There were already two glasses of orange juice set out. Benny pulled a chair out and sat, then patted the table to invite Bad Cop over.

Dazed, Bad Cop sank into the seat opposite him, and Benny happily dug into the breakfast. After a minute, he realized that Bad Cop hadn't so much as twitched. "What's up?" he asked.

"I'm very confused," Bad Cop said.

"That's okay," Benny replied cheerfully. "Most people seem to assume I can't cook, but I'm actually pretty good."

Was this guy for real? "That's… not what I was talking about."

"What, then?" Benny asked around a piece of bacon.

Bad Cop made a vague gesture. "Why you're doing all this for me."

Benny swallowed his mouthful. "You're not doing it for yourself."

"I'm not your responsibility," Bad Cop snapped.

Benny's expression was unreadable as he prodded at his eggs. "No," he agreed after a moment.

Bad Cop waited for elaboration, but the spaceman just munched on his toast. "And…?" he prompted when nothing seemed forthcoming.

"And what?" Benny asked, somewhat muffled by the bread.

"And so is there a particular reason you're doing this?"

Benny shrugged. "I like helping."

"But-"

"Eat," Benny interrupted. "C'mon man, I put all this effort into making it. At least eat it before it gets cold."

Automatically, Bad Cop picked up a fork and shoveled some eggs into his mouth. Benny _was_ a good cook. He was suddenly very hungry, and he practically inhaled the rest of the plate.

"Good?" Benny asked as Bad Cop scraped the last of the eggs up.

Bad Cop nodded. Unlike _somebody_, he didn't talk with his mouth full.

Benny looked pleased at that and checked his watch. "Oh, I gotta go," he said. "I'm covering Emmet's shift on the South Side reconstruction." He stood up and collected the plates off the table, dumping them in the sink. "See you 'round, yeah?"

"Yeah," Bad Cop replied vacantly. Then his attention snapped back. "Wait," he said, scrambling after Benny into the living room.

Benny paused with one leg already out the open window and looked at him curiously.

"Uh," Bad Cop said awkwardly. "Thanks."

Benny gave him a two-fingered salute. "No prob, dude."

Then he was gone.

Bad Cop stood in the middle of his living room, arms hanging uselessly at his sides. He felt like his brain was still catching up. What had just happened? A tornado of cleanliness? A drive-by breakfasting?

He put a hand to his head and went to find some ibuprofen.


	2. Chapter 2

_I'm not actually sure how long this is gonna be anymore. There isn't really a plot but I've got a couple more ideas I wanna add to it. Each chapter will probably be pretty short tho._

* * *

The next morning, he was woken by the sound of the TV playing. Groggily, he wandered into the living room to find Benny lounging on his couch, watching early morning cartoons.

"I'm going to nail that window shut," Bad Cop said.

Benny yawned at him. He was in his pajamas, little cartoon spaceships all over his pants, still wearing his helmet.

"I mean it," Bad Cop added.

Benny stretched. "Ah, man, I am so sore," he said, completely ignoring the threat. "I ended up working double. Got a whole new appreciation for construction workers now. Your couch is super comfy, though. I might steal it."

"You wouldn't be able to fit it through the window," Bad Cop replied.

Benny blew a raspberry. "You're right. I'll just have to crash here more often."

"Absolutely not," Bad Cop said.

Benny shot upright as if struck by inspiration. "You know what you should do? I'm working again this afternoon, and you should totally come with me! We could use the extra set of hands."

"No."

"C'mon," Benny whined.

Bad Cop looked away, crossed his arms. "I doubt anyone there would be happy to see me."

"You wanna make amends, right?"

The sudden seriousness in Benny's tone drew Bad Cop up short, and he looked over in surprise.

Benny's expression was stony. He almost looked like an entirely different person. "You told me you wanted me to hate you," he said. "And I told you I don't."

Bad Cop's mouth went dry. He waited for Benny to take it back, to say he actually _did_. With sickening clarity, Bad Cop realized that was the very last thing he wanted.

"You've done a lot of bad stuff," Benny continued. "I lost a lot of friends to you. It's hard to not hate you, but like I said. I don't."

"Why?" Bad Cop asked hoarsely.

Benny locked eyes with him. "Because I think you've lost a lot, too. I think you're just as broken as the rest of us. And hard as it is to not hate you, that makes it harder _to_ hate you."

There was unexpected steel in Benny's gaze. Bad Cop felt like he'd been punched in the gut.

Then Benny smiled, and it was like the sun coming out from behind a cloud. "We're all working on fixing stuff," he said. "You should work with us. Not everyone's gonna trust you, but they trust Emmet, and he's on your side. I'm on your side, too."

It took Bad Cop a minute to get his voice back. "Yeah," he said at last. "Yeah, okay."

Benny whooped and floated a little off the couch. "Aw, yeah!" he said. "This is gonna be great!"

The change was so abrupt it left Bad Cop reeling with the whiplash. _Just roll with it_, he thought – or was that Good Cop's voice? He felt a sudden surge of hope and scrambled through his mind, trying to track down the source. But there was nothing. "I need alcohol," he said, heading for the kitchen.

Benny looked horrified. "It's 7:30!"

Bad Cop paused and considered this. "Coffee, then," he conceded.

"I made some already," Benny called after him. "Should still be warm."

Sure enough, the coffee was hot in its pot. As he poured himself a mug, he thought of the bedtime stories his mum used to tell him about little fairies who would act as housekeepers. He wondered if Benny was related.

Beverage acquired, he returned to the living room and stood over Benny, who had stretched out over the whole couch. "Budge up, ye lump," he grumbled.

Benny curled his legs up to make room, but the second Bad Cop sat he straightened out again, resting them right across Bad Cop's lap. "Oi," Bad Cop protested, but made no move to shove him off.

They spent the rest of the morning like that.

* * *

_update: narcissisticcannibalcat made fanart for this chapter and it's too cute i am going to die /post/85581917031  
_


	3. Chapter 3

Benny gave Bad Cop directions to the construction site and told him that he'd meet him there. Then he slid out the window and was gone.

Bad Cop stared at his closet and wondered what would be appropriate to wear. He decided on jeans and an old white T-shirt, and inspected himself in the mirror. Uncomfortably, he tugged at the hem of the shirt. It had been so long since he'd really worn anything besides his uniform in public, but that was _definitely_ not something he should show up in. He'd just have to get used to it.

He grabbed his aviators, locked his apartment door behind him, and took the stairs. Then he reached the parking garage and realized the only car he had was his patrol car. Fiddling with his keys, he considered his options – he could show up to a gathering of Master Builders in a police cruiser, or he could take public transportation. The bus trip to the South Side would take an hour at best, and he would be crammed in with other commuters who probably knew him and probably hated him. They might be less likely to recognize him in civilian clothes, but… he wasn't sure he wanted to take that chance. Maybe a cab? He doubted any of them would stop for him.

The cruiser it was. Inspiration struck, and he realized that he could just park a few blocks away and walk the remaining distance. Feeling much better, he got into the car and started the engine.

The apprehension began to creep back the closer he got to his destination. He didn't know much about construction work. He would be surrounded by people who were unhappy with his presence.

But he'd promised Benny he would. Besides, what better way to begin making amends?

There would be a lot of pressure, a lot of scrutiny, lot of vitriol directed right at him. He'd be under a microscope.

He wasn't sure if he was ready for that just yet.

Still, he'd promised.

He parked a few blocks away, got out of the car, and began to walk, hands stuffed into his pockets and head down. He hoped Benny had gotten there first.

The walk was only a couple of minutes long, which felt like an eternity when left to stew in anxiety. By the time he reached the construction site, he thought he might puke.

The site itself took up half a city block, where the fight between the citizens and the micromanagers had managed to take out a huge chunk out of a skyscraper. Bad Cop loitered on the very edge, staring up at the broken building. Its bared framework was crawling with workers, and the sound of industry rang through the air.

"Hey, Bad Cop!" said someone next to him.

Bad Cop nearly jumped out of his skin.

It was Emmet, grinning and sweat-slicked. "Benny told me you'd be coming! I'm glad you did."

Bad Cop glanced around. "Is he here yet?"

"Almost," Emmet replied. "C'mon, let's get you geared up. I'll have you work on the ground floor since you're new."

Bad Cop let Emmet lead him through the site, listening carefully to Emmet's instructions. It was almost a relief to have orders again. Orders meant a clear goal, and a clear goal meant stability. Perhaps this hadn't been such a bad idea after all.

It got much louder once they entered the skeletal frame of the building. "Hey, Lucy!" Emmet shouted over the din.

A few yards away, Wyldstyle was bent over blueprints spread out on the rickety table in front of her. She was talking to a worker beside her, gesturing at different points on the sheet. At the sound of Emmet's voice, she looked up and smiled. Then she caught sight of Bad Cop hovering behind him, and her expression hardened. She muttered something to the worker, who was glaring daggers. He nodded at whatever she'd told him and hurried off. Coming around from behind the table, she walked up to Emmet and gave him a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then stepped back and looked Bad Cop up and down. He suddenly felt very conspicuous in the bright orange vest Emmet had given him.

"So you showed up, after all," she said.

Bad Cop nodded wordlessly.

She looked like she was about to say something else, but a loud roar cut through the noise of the construction, and the three of them jerked around to look.

"Oh for the love of the man upstairs," Wyldstyle groaned.

There was a smallish spaceship landing in the middle of the street. She ran towards it, waving her arms furiously. The ship touched down, and the hatch popped open. Benny hopped out.

"Benny!" Wyldstyle yelled as she stormed at him. "What did I say about bringing spaceships?"

"This one's smaller," Benny said defensively.

She closed in on him and jabbed a finger into his chest. "I said _not to_! Now-"

But Benny wasn't paying attention anymore. He'd just caught sight of Bad Cop, and his face broke out into a huge grin. "You came!" he said, attempting to dodge around Wyldstyle.

She grabbed the back of his space suit, jerking him to a halt. "Oh no you don't," she said. "You're going to move that bucket of bolts out of the way and put on a work vest. _Then_ you can say hi."

"Hi!" Benny called, waving at Bad Cop.

Bad Cop gave a small wave in return, and Wyldstyle gave him a look that told him he'd just lost major points with her.

"_Do it_," she snapped at Benny.

Benny clambered back into the spaceship and took off. Wyldstyle strode up to Bad Cop, stopping within inches of him. He had at least a foot on her height-wise, but she still managed to be very menacing. "I swear," she said through gritted teeth. "Benny can be hard enough to control as it is. Helpful or not, if you make it worse, you are _out_ of here."

Bad Cop nodded and wished she would step back a little. He was suddenly becoming very aware of his personal space and he didn't like the feeling at all.

She yanked his aviators off his face and he nearly went blind with panic. Unaware of the effect her action had, she shoved them into his hands and snapped, "Get some proper protective goggles on," before brushing past him to return to the blueprints.

Bad Cop felt nailed to the spot and struggled to breathe, to not shake. He hadn't realized until just then that he'd been relying on his sunglasses as a shield, a protective barrier between him and the world, and he had just had them ripped away without any permission or even any warning.

When had he become like this?

Someone put their hand on his shoulder and he inhaled sharply, whipping around.

It was Emmet, his face creased with concern. He was holding out a pair of safety goggles. "You okay?" he asked.

"Fine," Bad Cop replied tersely, snatching up the goggles. Cursing the tremors in his hands, he pocketed his aviators and slid on the goggles. "Where do you want me to start?"


	4. Chapter 4

It was 5:30. Benny and Bad Cop sat on a pile of pipes, eating sandwiches in companionable silence. Bad Cop was thoroughly exhausted, but in a good kind of way. He felt like he'd accomplished something, albeit something small. It was a good start anyway. The other workers avoided him if they could, but Benny kept him company. Wyldstyle had eased up a bit when she realized that Bad Cop's presence was actually focusing Benny, rather than the opposite.

Benny said something, but it was incomprehensible through his mouthful of peanut butter and jelly.

"Chew and swallow," Bad Cop said.

Benny skipped the 'chew' step and said again, "I heard Wyldstyle blew up at you earlier."

Bad Cop stiffened. "Who from?"

Benny was about to take another bite of his sandwich, but remembered he couldn't eat and talk at the same time and lowered it. "Emmet. He said you looked really shaken up. It worried him."

"Darn kid needs to mind his own business," Bad Cop muttered, and bit into his sandwich.

Benny was silent for a little while, staring down at his sandwich. Finally, he said, "There's something that's been bothering me for a while."

Bad Cop glanced over at him. His eyebrows were drawn together. "What?" Bad Cop asked.

"When you helped us escape from the Think Tank," Benny began. He hesitated a moment before continuing, "You said that you hoped there was still a good cop in you somewhere."

Bad Cop felt his stomach bottom out.

"Bad," Benny said. "Where's Good Cop?"

Bad Cop swallowed. He couldn't bring himself to answer.

"Does it have anything to do with…" Benny trailed off and pointed to his own face.

Bad Cop looked away. He'd been trying not to think about the scarring on the left side of his face from Business' "Good Cop cure." They were still relatively fresh – he'd only just taken off the bandages the day before Benny's very first visit. There were more scars in other, less visible places, but he wasn't about to tell Benny about those. Just the ones he _could_ see were bad enough. "He's gone," Bad Cop said shortly.

Benny straightened up in alarm. "But how? Isn't he-"

"_Enough_," Bad Cop said, and it came out harsher than he'd meant it to. He looked down and realized he'd dug his fingers into his sandwich. More softly, he said, "I'd rather not talk about it, Ben."

Benny opened his mouth, but thought better of it and closed it again. "Sorry, dude," he said after a second.

Quiet settled between them. Across the dirt lot from them, the skyscraper was slowly being pieced back together.

Finally, Bad Cop broke the silence. "You wouldn't happen to have any napkins, would you?"

Benny looked at him in surprise, and Bad Cop held up his sandwich, fingers still halfway through it.

There was an awkward pause, and then Benny burst out laughing. It was infectious, and Bad Cop was suddenly struck with the ridiculousness of the situation and began to laugh along with him.

Benny fumbled for his spaceship-themed lunchbox and reached inside. "Here you go, man," he said, wheezing for air as he handed a couple of paper napkins over.

"It's a good thing I got turkey instead of peanut butter and jelly," Bad Cop chuckled as he wiped mustard off his hands.

"Yeah," Benny said. He'd gotten his giggles under control now, and he wiped a tear from the corner of his eye. "Our shift's over, what do you say we blow this popsicle stand? Go see a movie or something."

Bad Cop balled up the dirty napkins and shoved them into the plastic sandwich bag, along with the mutilated sandwich. "I dunno," he said. "I don't think I want to go anywhere else public."

"That's fine!" Benny said. "We could go back to your place if you're cool with that, make some popcorn."

"I don't have popcorn," Bad Cop said, then stopped and looked at Benny. "I have popcorn, don't I."

Benny nodded happily.

Bad Cop sighed. "Yeah, sure. Alright."

"Yes!" Benny punched the air. "C'mon, let's go!" He pushed off the top of the pile and drifted to the ground, and Bad Cop scrambled down after him.

"When Wyldstyle asked me to move my spaceship, I saw where you parked your car," Benny said as they walked. "So I figured I might as well park next to you."

Then they turned to corner onto the street they'd left their vehicles on, and Benny gasped. Bad Cop clenched his fists.

His police cruiser had been vandalized. The tires were slashed, the driver's side window was smashed, and it looked like someone had dragged a crowbar along the sides. Creative profanity had been spray-painted on the hood and windshield.

Bad Cop walked up to his car, scuffed at the broken glass on the asphalt with his shoe. Hit by a sudden surge of anger, he let out a hoarse scream and kicked the side of the car. His steel-toed boots left a dent.

"Whoa, hey," Benny said, putting a hand on his shoulder. "It's alright, man. My spaceship's got a clamp on the bottom, I can fly it home. And you know what?"

Bad Cop turned his head to look at Benny, who was grinning again. "What?"

"Well," Benny said. "I'm pretty good at building stuff, as you know. I can fix this right up, better than new!"

Strangely, that made Bad Cop feel a bit better. In the back of his head, he'd already begun running through all the things he'd need to do – take it to a mechanic, pay for it, deal with strangers… Knowing he didn't have to do that now was a relief. He sagged. "Thanks, Ben."

"What're friends for?" Benny said cheerily. "Let's get this mess home."


	5. Chapter 5

_let's play: how to write awkward nerds being awkward without using the word awkward more than once._

* * *

Benny landed on the roof of Bad Cop's apartment building, setting down the car and then parking the spaceship next to it. Bad Cop got out of the ship and looked around. "I'm surprised the roof supports the weight."

"It's okay!" Benny said, strolling for the stairs. "I reinforced it."

"Oh," Bad Cop said. Then it sank in. "Wait, what?" he asked, hurrying after Benny.

"I reinforced the roof to support extra weight," Benny repeated, floating down the steps.

Bad Cop had to take two at a time to keep up with him. "_When?_"

Benny stopped to consider this and Bad Cop nearly ran right into him. "I dunno. Right after T.A.K.O.S. Tuesday? Just before you moved in, I think. It was pretty simple."

"Huh," was all Bad Cop could think to say.

They reached the fourth floor and walked down the hallway, stopping in front of Bad Cop's door. Bad Cop took out his keys and unlocked it, then pushed his way inside. "You know," he said as Benny followed him. "I think this is actually the first time you've come in through the door."

Benny snorted. "Oh man, you're right! Speaking of which," he added. "I wanna get into something more comfortable. Brb."

While Bad Cop was still trying to figure out what 'burb' meant, Benny floated across the living room and opened the window.

"Hang on-" Bad Cop began, but Benny had already hopped out the window. He crossed the room and looked out. There was no sign of the spaceman. Putting a hand to his head, he wandered over to the couch and flopped down. A minute or two went past.

"Hey!" said a voice behind him, and Bad Cop nearly fell off the couch. He whipped around to look at Benny.

"What was _that_?" Bad Cop asked, gesturing at the window. Then he noticed that Benny was in his pajamas again. "How're you…"

"I live right under you, man," Benny laughed.

"Oh," Bad Cop said. A lot of stuff suddenly made sense, and he kicked himself. He was a _cop_, he was supposed to be able to put clues together.

Benny held up a stack of VHS tapes. "I dunno what your movie library's like-"

"I'm shocked," Bad Cop interrupted dryly.

"Shut up, dude," Benny said, shoving playfully at his shoulder. "So I brought a few of my own." He looked down at the movies in his hand and then back at Bad Cop. "I hope you like sci-fi."

"I'll watch anything," Bad Cop replied.

"Sweet!" Benny hopped over the back of the couch and settled down next to Bad Cop. "Here, take a look."

Bad Cop sorted through the cases. "Do you have a favorite?"

Benny considered this, then pointed at one of them. "That one's really good. Also hilarious. I figure you could use a good laugh right now."

Bad Cop checked the summary on the back. It was about a group of actors who get mistaken for their characters by aliens. "Yeah," he said. "Let's do that."

"Awesome!" Benny drifted up off the couch, floating towards the kitchen. "You get it set up, I'll make the popcorn."

Bad Cop heaved himself off the couch, leaving the other tapes on the coffee table. The kid was lucky that Bad Cop was probably one of the only few people left in the city who still owned a functioning VCR.

A whirring came from the kitchen, and Bad Cop realized that was _not_ the sound of a microwave. He slid the tape into the player and went to check out what was happening.

There was an ancient-looking air-popper on his kitchen table, with a large bowl set out in front of it to catch the popcorn. Benny sat and watched the kernels bounce around, entranced.

"Where did _that_ come from?" Bad Cop asked.

Benny glanced up and grinned. "It's mine. I like eating non-packaged stuff as much as I can. Living on freeze-dried food in space can really make you appreciate the little things."

"Huh," Bad Cop said. He pulled out a chair and sat down across from Benny. It _was_ strangely hypnotic. He hadn't seen one of these since he was a kid. Come to think of it, he didn't think he'd even eaten popcorn since… since at least a decade ago.

The first kernel snapped, and they both jumped in surprise. Benny laughed. Bad Cop smiled at him. He was just starting to realize how much he liked Benny's laugh.

"What's up, dude?" Benny asked.

Bad Cop realized he was staring and turned bright red. "Oh! Er. Nothing." Then he blurted, "You have a nice laugh."

It was Benny's turn to go red. He buried his face in his hands, but Bad Cop could practically hear his grin as he said, "No way, man, it's so stupid."

Oh, darn, darn, darny _darn_. Now it was _awkward_. He struggled to think of what Good Cop would do. "I mean it," he said. Inspiration struck. "Especially considering I've been listening to Business' villainous cackle for the past eight years," he added, putting air quotes around 'villainous cackle.'

Benny peeked through his fingers. "Did you just," he said. "Did you just make a joke?"

"Maybe," Bad Cop replied, unable to suppress a twitch of a smile.

Benny clapped his hands delightedly. "You _do_ have a sense of humor!"

"Of course I do," Bad Cop said indignantly.

"You're so serious all the time!" Benny said, leaning forward. "I was starting to wonder. You know," he added, glancing away. "You've got a good laugh, too."

A silence stretched between them, and Bad Cop suddenly became very interested in the tabletop. "Thank you," he said after what felt like an eternity. "No one's ever told me that before. Good Cop's always been the friendly one."

"Oh," Benny said, just as clumsily. "Well. It's true."

Silence again. Bad Cop slowly became aware of the sound of the popcorn machine, and the lack of the sound of popping. He looked over. The bowl was full, and there were only a few hard kernels left bouncing around in the machine.

"It, uh." Bad Cop cleared his throat. "Looks like the popcorn's ready."

Benny snapped out of whatever thoughts he'd been having. "Awesome!" he said, standing up a little too quickly. "Is the movie ready?"

"Yeah," Bad Cop replied, pushing himself to his feet as well. "Shall we?"

Benny grinned. "We shall!"


	6. Chapter 6

_I'm bumping the rating up because of this chapter because it actually gets kinda dark sorry. Warning for a short torture scene (it's not graphic but still)._

* * *

The movie was good. Bad Cop got the feeling that Benny could probably recite the whole thing from memory. He seemed the type.

Once it was done, Benny made more popcorn and Bad Cop picked another tape at random. This one was a bit more serious – something about aliens and mythology and interplanetary portals. Benny was excited for that one too, and the funny thing about watching movies with him was that he got so into them that Bad Cop had to as well. His enthusiasm was infectious.

They watched nearly all the movies Benny had brought.

Towards the end, Benny began to nod off and slouched against Bad Cop. He'd taken off his helmet off at some point, and his wildly fluffy hair tickled against Bad Cop's neck.

Bad Cop went perfectly still as the spaceman's breathing evened out. Onscreen, the end credits rolled, and trying to move as little as possible, Bad Cop reached for the remote and switched the TV off.

What should he do?

He thought about waking Benny up and telling him to go home to his own bed, but he looked so peaceful Bad Cop couldn't bring himself to disturb him. So he just sat there, the distant sound of traffic trickling in through the window with the warm summer breeze, Benny snoring gently into his shoulder.

And in that moment, Bad Cop felt like maybe everything was going to be okay after all. Slowly, he let his own eyes drift shut.

* * *

_Fear. Pain. The metallic tang of blood on his tongue. The coarse rope burned against his wrists where they were tied behind his back. He was sagging forward, would have fallen if he weren't tied to the chair. Business was talking, but he wasn't listening. He couldn't hear through the agony anymore. Everything hurt. He'd always been the stronger of the two, but he didn't know how much more he could take. _

_Then Business started on his face. Distantly, he could hear screaming, and realized it was his own. It surprised him, in a detached sort of way. He thought he'd already lost his voice. Everything seemed far away now. Yes. Far away. That was where he had to go. The further he went, the less it hurt, so he kept going, going…_

_Gone_.

* * *

Bad Cop awoke to frantic shouting, and someone was holding his wrists, trying to hold him still. Panic overwhelmed him, and he struggled to escape his captor, kicking and screaming.

"B! Bad, listen to me!" a familiar voice was saying. "B, it's okay, it's okay, wake up!"

His vision began to focus, and Benny's worried face swam into clarity. He was on his couch, in his apartment. It was morning. Benny had him pinned to the cushions. "Let go," he gasped. "Ben, let go, let go."

Benny drew away fast as he could. Bad Cop curled in on himself, shaking and panting.

"Bad Cop?" Benny asked hesitantly.

Bad Cop put his hands over his head, dug his fingers into his hair, cursed himself. He'd been having nightmares, but this was the worst one yet. The most vivid. He never should have let Benny stay. "Please leave," he said, his voice cracking.

Benny put a hand on Bad Cop's shoulder. Bad Cop flinched, and Benny withdrew. "I can't," he said.

"Of course you can," Bad Cop snapped, curling up tighter.

There was shuffling, and he felt the couch dip a little as Benny sat. "I can't," he repeated. "I can't leave you like this."

Bad Cop was going to cry, and he didn't want a repeat of Benny's first visit. He didn't want to show the spaceman that level of vulnerability again. He didn't want to show him a _deeper_ level. "Just leave," he whispered. "Just leave me alone."

Benny was quiet, but he didn't move. Finally, he said, "You really _are_ alone, aren't you? It's just you now."

Bad Cop choked back a sob.

"Bad," Benny said, scooting a little closer. "What happened?"

Bad Cop shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut.

"You were talking," Benny said after a moment's hesitation. He spoke haltingly. "In your sleep. Something about Lord Business. You sounded like…" Benny swallowed. "You sounded like you were in a lot of pain."

Bad Cop didn't want to talk. He _didn't_. But his mouth opened and words came out anyway. "It was Good Cop," he said, breath hitching. "I could. I could feel him. Going. Fading away." A sob caught in his throat. "He was in so much pain and I. Oh god. I _felt him die_."

Benny didn't have any words. He just placed his hand softly on Bad Cop's side.

Now that he'd started, Bad Cop couldn't stop. He told Benny everything. His parents, the Kragle, what Business did, what _he_ did. The words fell off his tongue, one after another, pouring out, parting around hics and gasps. He begged for forgiveness and hated himself for it. Somehow he'd ended up in Benny's arms again, wound tight and trembling, and Benny curled around him and didn't say anything. He just _listened_, and that was what Bad Cop needed most right then.

And even after a long while, after Bad Cop gradually unwound and his breathing calmed, Benny just continued to run his fingers through Bad Cop's short wiry hair and remained silent. For that, Bad Cop was glad, because it was a comforting quiet, and there wasn't really anything to say anyway.


	7. Chapter 7

_Oh look it's Benny POV! sorry it's short  
_

* * *

Benny paced around the apartment.

Bad Cop had fallen back asleep, exhausted. This time, he rested peacefully, and even his customary frown had relaxed, making him look years younger. It was hard to reconcile this man who'd had a complete mental breakdown in Benny's arms with the one who had for years loomed over the Master Builders like a dark storm cloud. Bad Cop had been synonymous with Lord Business. Everyone knew that even Good Cop was not to be messed with – despite his name, there were rumors that _he_ was the truly dangerous one. Benny wouldn't know. He'd never met Good Cop, and it was starting to look like he never would.

Benny tried to imagine what it would be like to have half of himself ripped away, but he couldn't even begin.

He felt helpless.

Last night had been fun, more so than he'd expected. Bad Cop was turning out to be surprisingly good company. Benny had a natural ability to make himself at home wherever he went, because he loved people, loved interacting with them, but he'd still been a bit worried about how Bad Cop would react to him. And then… despite Bad Cop's prickly demeanor, despite his history, it was somehow so _easy_ for Benny to relax around him. Maybe it was because of the first time Benny had visited, when he'd seen the state he was living in. He'd looked _awful_. Benny had realized that Emmet was wrong – Bad Cop wasn't wallowing in self-pity. It was something that ran much deeper than that.

Benny had never been so unhappy about being right.

Last night _had_ been fun. He'd felt like he was helping. Bad Cop had looked happy. Benny hadn't meant to fall asleep, but it had been such a long day, and, contrary to popular belief, his energy was not boundless. In retrospect, he was kind of surprised Bad Cop hadn't pushed him off. Benny was kinda glad he hadn't.

Waking up, though, was another story entirely. They'd somehow ended up tangled together (which Benny was very firmly _not_ thinking about), and he'd slowly become aware of Bad Cop twitching.

Then Bad Cop had started screaming.

To say it was an alarming experience was a gross understatement. He had to struggle to keep Bad Cop from thrashing around, had to shout to wake him up.

And the things Bad Cop had told him…

Benny shivered.

This was bad. He didn't know how to deal with stuff like this. It wasn't anything he'd ever had to deal with before. He thought about maybe calling Emmet for help, but decided against it. What Bad Cop had told him had been told in confidence. It wasn't Benny's place to bring in other people.

He chewed on his thumb as he thought. Was there anything he really _could_ do? Maybe all he could do was be there. Be a friend. Be a support.

Sighing, he walked over to the couch and sat on the floor, leaning his back against it. He wanted to be there when Bad Cop woke up.


	8. Chapter 8

_At this point I am literally making stuff up as I go along because this really ran away with me so I have no idea what's going to happen next. I'm along for this ride with you guys._

* * *

Benny wasn't sure how long he sat there, staring into space. An odd funk had settled over him.

There was a knock at the door, and he jumped, startled. Pushing himself to his feet, he crossed the room and checked the peephole. It was Emmet. Benny cracked the door open and stuck his head out. "'Sup, dude?"

Emmet's expression was a mix of surprise and relief. "You and Bad Cop never showed up for work," he said. "I got kinda worried."

Benny smacked his forehead. "Aw, shoot, that's right! I totally forgot, I'm so sorry."

Emmet tried to inconspicuously peer past Benny into the apartment. "Is something up?"

Benny scooted a little to block Emmet's view of the couch. "Nah, man. Just me and B chillin'."

"Oh," Emmet said, clearly baffled by this point. "I just… When you didn't answer your door I figured I'd come see if Bad Cop knew where you were. Didn't really expect to find you here." He glanced over Benny's shoulder. "Is he around?"

"He's sleeping," Benny said. "I think yesterday did a number on him." It wasn't technically a lie.

Emmet fidgeted a little. "So, uh… how's he doing?"

"He's…" Benny searched for an adequate way of putting it. "He's got some problems he's working through."

"Ah," Emmet said. He looked down at his hands. "Um. I was talking to Business earlier. He says he'd like to see Bad Cop."

Benny felt a flash of white-hot anger. "No," he said icily.

Emmet actually took a step back. "Whoa," he said, eyes wide. "Is there something I should know?"

Benny forced his voice to stay level. "I don't want anyone to even say that name in front of Bad Cop right now," he said. "And I don't want to hear it either. Bad Cop will see _him_ when he's good and ready."

"Okay," Emmet said, raising his hands in a placating gesture. "I won't ask."

Benny swallowed the bile rising in the back of his throat. It wasn't fair to put Emmet in the crossfire. "Thanks, man," he said. "Sorry I kinda blew up."

"No, it's alright." Emmet sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It's really hard, you know? Trying to fix everything. Not just the buildings. That's the easy part."

"Yeah," Benny replied. "I know."

Emmet gave him a tired smile. He really had been doing a lot. Being the Special had automatically pushed him into a position of authority. He was rising to the occasion rather spectacularly for someone who could be so dopey. And it wasn't just rebuilding the city and doing PR. There were the Duplos, too, constantly undermining all their efforts.

Sudden inspiration struck Benny like a lightning bolt, and he checked over his shoulder to see if Bad Cop was still sleeping on the couch. Making sure the door was unlocked, he stepped out into the hall with Emmet and closed the door behind him. "I have an idea," he said, "but I'm not sure how well it'll go over with anyone. Including Bad Cop."

Emmet raised his eyebrows.

"Bad Cop was good at what he did," Benny said. "Like, _really_ good. And when we working yesterday, he looked really happy."

"He did?" Emmet asked. "He looked kinda angry to me."

Benny waved it off. "That's just his face. During all the time he was with… all the time he spent hunting us, I seriously doubt he took a single vacation. Dude practically lives to work. So what if… what if we gave him the police department back?"

Emmet's eyebrows went up even further. He couldn't find a response.

"Think about it," Benny persisted. "The police department as it is right now is a joke. It needs someone in charge who really knows what they're doing. The Duplos are a real problem, and they're just gonna get worse. Imagine Bad Cop putting all that skill and devotion he has to use against them. He nearly wiped _us_ out. The Duplos wouldn't stand a chance."

Slowly, Emmet began to nod. "You've got a good point," he said. "But you're right that people might not be as accepting of it."

Benny shook his head. "Forget the people. We just need the Master Builders behind him. Everyone else will follow. It'll be a great opportunity for him to really _prove_ he's on our side, and it'll give him something to do. I don't think he does well when he doesn't have anything to do. And if I know anything, it's that I know he loves being a cop."

"He did seem pretty enthusiastic the first time I met him," Emmet agreed. Then he snapped his fingers. "What about Good Cop?"

Benny dropped his gaze. "It's, uh… Bad's the one calling the shots right now." He forced himself to look up again. "I still need to get his opinion on this, but would you be open to it?"

"As long as he is," Emmet replied with that bright smile of his.

Benny nodded and reached for the doorknob behind him. "I'll talk to him, then," he said. "See you later."

"Yeah, see you," Emmet said, bumping fists with him.

Benny watched him walk off down the hall, then pulled the door open and stepped back inside. He closed the door and rested his forehead against it.

"Had a nice little chat?"

Benny stiffened and slowly, slowly turned around.

Bad Cop was standing in the middle of the living room, arms crossed and one eyebrow raised. He didn't look happy, and not because that was just his face.

"Did you, uh…" Benny said, pointing tentatively at the door.

"Yes," Bad Cop said.

Benny winced internally. "How much?"

"All of it," Bad Cop said. He pulled a chair away from the table and straddled it, fixing Benny with his best interrogation stare. "I believe we need to talk."


	9. Chapter 9

_oops this one's really short sorry_

* * *

Bad Cop felt a lot calmer than he thought he would, despite the horrible knot of anxiety in his stomach. He folded his arms over the top of the chair. "I'd like to start off by saying I appreciate you not telling Emmet about my earlier… episode," he said.

Benny nodded dumbly.

"I also appreciate the fact that you recognized I might not be willing to do this," Bad Cop continued.

Benny nodded again, apprehension written all over his face.

"Regarding Business," Bad Cop said, and Benny flinched a little, "I believe I can fight my own battles."

Benny mumbled something.

"Speak up," Bad Cop told him.

Benny cleared his throat and repeated, "But you don't have to fight them alone."

The knot in his stomach twisted violently, and Bad Cop tried to not let it show on his face. "You don't need to do this," he said.

Benny clenched his fists at his sides and stubbornly met Bad Cop's eyes. "I want to."

Bad Cop had to look away. "I still don't understand," he said.

"Then at least accept it," Benny replied.

Bad Cop looked back at him. The spaceman's face was set in determination.

"I know you're afraid," Benny said. "And you're hurting. Becoming Chief of Police again would be really hard. You'd be right in the public eye, and coordinating people who might not entirely trust you. But you…" Benny looked down at his hands and then up again. "You're tough as nails, dude. I think you like a good challenge, and this'd be your toughest challenge yet. And I think you can do it."

Bad Cop eyed Benny, floating a couple inches off the floor in his ridiculous spaceship pajamas, with his boyish face and uncontrollable hair. "You're a deep well, Ben," Bad Cop said.

Benny grinned at that.

The knot hardened into a rock, solidified with resolve. "Alright," he said, cracking his knuckles. "Let's give this a shot."

Benny looked about to cheer, but Bad Cop cut him off. "_Under_ one condition," he said.

Benny froze, suddenly on edge.

Bad Cop leveled a finger at him. "You're going to be my deputy."


	10. Chapter 10

_I had a lot of fun writing this chapter._

* * *

Somehow, Emmet managed to get a reluctant majority vote out of the Master Builders in favor of giving Bad Cop his former position back. Bad Cop really had to hand it to him – the kid had charisma out the wazoo.

Benny had told him that the police department was a mess, but the moment Bad Cop arrived at the station, he realized that 'a mess' wasn't even the half of it. Chaos reigned. No one knew what they were doing, and there didn't seem to be anyone really in charge. There were senior officers trying to wrangle others into some form of coordination, but there was no one at the top to wrangle _them_.

When he walked in through the front doors, it took a few minutes for people to notice him, giving him time to assess the situation. But once they did, silence spread out like a ripple through the station. They all stared at him.

Bad Cop took a deep breath, steeling himself. The first thing he had to do was establish his unquestionable authority. It didn't matter if they didn't trust him right away. He wasn't here to make friends – he was here to kick them back into shape. Glaring around the room, he put his hands on his hips. "What a darn sorry sight," he growled. "No wonder the Duplos are running rampant. I came in here thinking it was a police department, but this is just a holy show!"

Some of the junior officers at least had the decency to look embarrassed, and Bad Cop felt a surge of fresh energy. This was what he _did_, where he really _belonged_. He was a cop to the bone. It was good to be home.

He paced forward, and they parted hurriedly for him. "Now!" he barked. "I'm sure you all know who I am, but on the off chance you don't, my name is Bad Cop!" He came to a sudden halt, arms clasped behind his back, and surveyed the room with a cold eye. "You will address me as 'sir'! Is that clear?"

A half-hearted mumble went around the room.

"I said," Bad Cop repeated, raising his voice, "_is that clear_?"

This time he got a more solid response. "Yes, sir!"

"Better," Bad Cop said, and strode onward, his blood singing in his veins, his nerve endings alight like sparklers. He felt alive again. "Who are the highest ranking officers here?"

Five people shuffled out of the crowd – two women and three men. He advanced on them. "I am absolutely _gobsmacked_," he snapped. One of the women – younger, a bit gangly, probably newly promoted – flinched. Bad Cop was on the show of weakness like a shot. He towered over the young woman. "What's your name?" he asked sharply.

The young woman gulped. "D-Detective Janice Jenkins, sir."

"Well, stand up straight, Jenkins!" Bad Cop snarled. "Didn't anyone teach you saps how to stand at attention?"

"This isn't the military!" someone shouted from the back of the room.

Bad Cop whirled on his heel. "Who said that?" he bellowed.

Silence.

He stalked in the direction the voice had come from, and people scrambled to get out of his way. Scanning the crowd, his eyes settled on one cop looking simultaneously defiant and weak-kneed. "Was it you?" he shouted.

The cop's expression wavered between terror and determination, and settled on the latter. "Yeah," he said.

Bad Cop placed a hand on the unfortunate soul's shoulder. "You're right, sonny boy! This isn't the military. We're coppers, not soldiers! But here's the thing," he continued, leaning in close and tightening his grip. "You lot have been so busy foostering about that this place has turned into a right shambles, and do you know who has to clean it up now?"

The cop licked his lips nervously. The entire station was holding its breath.

Bad Cop loomed. "Answer the question, son."

"You do," the cop whispered.

"You do, _what_?"

"You do, sir."

"Right again!" Bad Cop said. "And the only way to fix up a mess like this is to tear it down and start from scratch!" He released the cop, turned to face the rest of them, and boomed, "Welcome back to boot camp, you miserable gits!"


	11. Chapter 11

_i changed my mind jenkins is now a woman there are too many guys sheesh. i also kinda wanna draw her haha  
_

* * *

Once he felt like he'd terrorized the precinct sufficiently, Bad Cop introduced Benny as the new second-in-command and told them they could find him in his office "shoveling through the mountains of paperwork you useless gobdaws probably left for me." He slammed the door behind him and let Benny deal with the aftermath. It would be Good Cop out there doing that, but that wasn't exactly an option and Benny had agreed to be Bad Cop's PR assistant instead.

Sure enough, his new desk was stacked high with folders and loose sheets of paper and goodness knew what else. Outside the office, he could hear muffled arguing. He shook his head and sat down, digging into the paperwork. It was a nightmare. At some point, whoever was leaving these files on the desk had given up on trying to keep it organized, or forgot how they'd been organizing it – no matter the explanation, there was no rhyme or reason to the placement of anything.

There was a general assumption that Good Cop was the one who did all the paperwork since Bad Cop's temper was so short, but the truth was the complete opposite. Good Cop had very little patience for paperwork, and easy as it was to get Bad Cop riled up, he was the more focused of the two.

Bad Cop took off his jacket and rolled up his sleeves. He was going to be here all day, and possibly all night.

There was a click and his office door swung open. Benny slid inside and shut the door. "Hey, man," he said, then noticed the mounds of paper Bad Cop was slowly sorting through. "Dang."

Bad Cop leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "How did it go?"

Benny drifted over to the chair opposite the desk and sank into it. "Not many people are happy."

"I don't care about that," Bad Cop said. "Will they work for me?"

"A few walked out," Benny replied, "including that one guy you chewed out for arguing with you. But I think the rest will."

Bad Cop grunted. "Good. Did we lose anyone essential?"

Benny shook his head. "Nope. You know," he added with a grin. "You really looked like you were having fun out there."

Bad Cop allowed himself a small smile. "I was."

"You are one scary dude," Benny laughed.

"I do try," Bad Cop replied dryly.

"Seriously, though," Benny said, his forehead creasing a little. "How're you doing?"

Bad Cop had been worried that once the rush of adrenaline died out, he'd nosedive off a cliff into a pile of sharp rocks, but there didn't seem to be any aftereffects yet. "I'm actually feeling alright," Bad Cop said.

Benny looked relieved. "Good."

Bad Cop tapped his pen on his desk. "There's just one last thing I need to take care of," he said.

Benny raised his eyebrows. "Only one?"

"For now," Bad Cop replied with a twitch of a grin. "It's you."

Benny pointed at himself questioningly. "Me?"

"Yes, you. You need a uniform and a badge."

Benny's face lit up, and he shot into the air. "A real badge?" he exclaimed.

"Of course a real badge," Bad Cop replied, standing up. "You're going to be a real deputy."

Benny clapped excitedly. "Let's do this!"

Bad Cop grabbed his jacket off the back of his chair and headed for the door, Benny floating after him. When he opened the door, he was rather pleased with what he saw. The station was moving about in a much more orderly fashion. He'd given the five highest rankings clear instructions on what he wanted each of them to do, and they seemed to be rising to the occasion. He caught sight of a familiar gawky figure and barked, "Jenkins!"

The young woman stiffened and turned on her heel, saluting. Bad Cop rolled his eyes. "Drop the salute, lassie, I told you this isn't the military. Now get over here!"

Jenkins hurried up to him. "Yes, sir?"

"How long have you been a detective?"

Jenkins look down. "Since T.A.K.O.S. Tuesday, sir. We were short-staffed."

"Eyes up here, lass," Bad Cop said, making a two-fingered gesture to his own. "How long have you been a cop?"

Jenkins met his gaze reluctantly. "One year, sir."

Bad Cop frowned. "That's an awfully fast promotion."

"I know, sir," Jenkins mumbled. "We were pretty desperate."

"Speak clearly," Bad Cop said. "Do you think this is a job you can do?"

Jenkins scuffed at the floor with the toe of her shoe. "I don't know."

Bad Cop stepped closer to her. Jenkins wasn't short by any means, but Bad Cop was very tall. "It's a yes or no question," he growled. "Do you think you've got what it takes?"

Jenkins swallowed, looking up at him. After a moment of deliberation, she said, "I think so, sir."

"Yes," Bad Cop said, casting a shadow over her, "or no?"

"Yes," Jenkins squeaked.

"I want some conviction here, girl," Bad Cop said.

Jenkins forced herself to straighten up and square her shoulders. "Yessir!" she shouted, a little too loudly out of nervousness.

Bad Cop clapped her on the shoulder and gave her her space back. "That's what I like to hear," he said. "Come with Ben and I for a tick. I'd like a proper tour of the station."


	12. Chapter 12

_I ended up doing some Jenkins doodles, they're in my art tag on tumblr (odd-gelato)_

* * *

There wasn't much of the station _to_ tour. It didn't take two minutes, and ended with Bad Cop standing crossly in the middle of the locker room, Benny floating bemusedly beside him and Jenkins sweating nervously.

"And this is it?" Bad Cop asked. "The _whole_ station?"

Jenkins cleared her throat. "Yessir."

"What about the other stations?" he asked, surveying the cramped and rather smelly room. "I thought this was supposed to be the central one."

"From what I've seen, sir…" Jenkins said, shifting uncomfortably. "Worse."

"Good god," Bad Cop said. He hadn't fully realized until just then that by running the Secret Police as thoroughly as he had, he'd essentially made the _real_ Bricksburg PD a façade. In a way, this was his own mess that he was now cleaning up. There was a justice in that, and he suddenly felt extra glad he'd taken the job.

The station's layout was badly organized and borderline filthy, with paint peeling in corners and tiles missing from the linoleum floor. The desks were rickety and the computers so out of date that Benny would be completely at home with them. And if _this_ station was the one in the best shape… well, that was a disaster. He'd need to go around and inspect all the stations, figure out what needed repaired. He didn't want to ask the Master Builders for help – they were all busy with the rebuilding of the city and that was a higher priority. There was no way he was putting Benny in charge unless he wanted _space_ stations. But he couldn't take care of it all himself, and he didn't want to even try. Building was not his area of expertise, and he was going to have his hands full whipping his new crew back into shape. "Jenkins!" he snapped.

She jumped a little. "Sir?"

He cast a critical eye over her. "How would you feel about a position of command?"

Jenkins gulped. "What kind of command?"

Bad Cop gestured at their surroundings. "Managing fixing up these stations."

"All of them, sir?" she asked, her voice cracking a little.

"All of them," he replied.

She looked like a deer caught in the headlights. When she didn't respond after a few moments, Bad Cop said, "Tell me, Jenkins. Why did you stay?"

"Sir?" she asked meekly.

Bad Cop crossed his arms, staring her down. "I'm sure you saw the others who walked out. I want to know why you stayed, even after I singled you out."

She looked away. "Because I'm a cop, sir," she said.

"Eyes _up_, Jenkins!"

Reluctantly, she met his gaze.

"And why are you a cop?" he asked. "Remember I want conviction."

Jenkins took a deep breath, and her expression became determined. "To protect and serve, sir!"

Bad Cop nodded in satisfaction. "Now," he said. "How about that position?"

Keeping the resolve fixed on her face, Jenkins nodded. "I can do it, sir."

"Good lass." Bad Cop pulled his notebook and pen out. He jotted down a name, a number, and a location, then tore out the page and handed it to her. "Talk to Emmet Brickowski," he said. "He'll be able to get you started."

Her eyes widened as she took the paper. "The Special?"

"He's a silly git," Bad Cop replied. "Don't be too impressed. Go on, now."

A goofy smile on her face, Jenkins sprinted away. Bad Cop turned to Benny, who was grinning from ear to ear. "What?" he asked irritably.

"You really _are_ a big softie!" Benny exclaimed.

Bad Cop glared at him. "I'm a cynical bastard with a heart of stone."

Benny floated up to him and mushed Bad Cop's face between his hands. "And a squishy-fluffy center!"

"You have two seconds to stop that before I put a new crack in your helmet," Bad Cop said.

Benny put his hands up in concession, drifting away. "Say what you will," he said. "I know the real truth now."

"Well, keep it to yourself," Bad Cop grumbled. "I've got a reputation to uphold."

Benny mimed zipping his mouth shut and throwing away the key, and Bad Cop rolled his eyes. "Come on," he said. "Let's get you in uniform."

* * *

Benny looked a bit ridiculous with his blue helmet and black police uniform, but he'd refused to relinquish the helmet, and Bad Cop didn't push the issue.

Of course, Benny was over the moon. "This is so rad!" he said, patting himself down. "I feel so _official!_" He paused, hand at his hip, and looked at Bad Cop in puzzlement. "Don't I get a gun?"

Bad Cop suppressed a shudder. "Not until I get the chance to train you properly."

Benny clapped his hands together. "Ooh, training! When do we start?"

"Later," Bad Cop said. "I've got a _lot_ of papers to organize."

Benny followed Bad Cop's gaze to the desk, all but invisible under the mess of folders and papers. "Oh," he said. "Yeah. That's, uh. Fun."

With a sigh, Bad Cop sat down behind the desk and grabbed the nearest stack.

Benny hovered beside him, rather literally. "Is there anything I can do?"

Bad Cop shook his head. "No. You can go home if you like. I'll be here a while."

"Nah, I'll stay," Benny replied, settling into one of the two chairs against the far wall. "I can at least keep you company."

A small smile twitched at Bad Cop's lips, but he didn't look up. "Thanks, Ben."

"No prob," Benny said cheerfully.

As Bad Cop worked, Benny rambled on about spaceships he'd built and missions he'd been on. He didn't seem to expect Bad Cop to really listen, talking just to create an atmosphere of companionship, so Bad Cop just kept half an ear open and turned his attention to the paperwork. After an impressively long time, Benny began to slow, then began to yawn, and finally drifted off to sleep. By this point, in an attempt to bring some sort of order to all the paperwork, Bad Cop had made stacks of files on the floor, and the end result made it look like he was bunkered down in a paper fort.

Bad Cop stretched and leaned back in his chair, contemplating Benny. He smiled. It had been a good day.

There was a knock at the door. "Come in," Bad Cop called.

The door swung open, and Business walked into the office.


	13. Chapter 13

_and shit hits the fan in 3... 2..._

* * *

Panic crashed over Bad Cop like a tidal wave. The room was suddenly very small and getting smaller by the second, and it was dark with a single dirty light bulb dangling above him, casting more shadows than it dispelled, and the rope was coarse against his wrists and he _couldn't breathe_ _sharp pain in his sides and up and down his face blood slick against his skin and cold eyes glinting above a sneer_-

There was distant shouting, but he couldn't hear over his heartbeat slamming against the inside of his skull. His breath came in short gasps. He gripped the edge of the desk so hard his knuckles were white.

"_Out! Out!_" Benny was screaming, floating so he could tower over Business, who was leaning backwards under him and protesting that he just wanted to talk. Benny didn't want to hear it, and continued advancing on Business so that he was forced to back out the door.

Bad Cop watched the scene hazily, and then Business looked over at him. Their eyes met.

The world was suddenly flung into sharp relief and he could see with crystal clarity. Before he realized what he was doing, he was on his feet and heading straight for Business.

"B, no-" Benny said with alarm, but Bad Cop ignored him and grabbed Business by the lapels, jerking him so close their noses were almost touching.

"I oughta kill you," Bad Cop hissed as Business' eyes widened in terror.

"I came here to apologize," Business gasped. "Bad Cop-"

"_Apologize?_" Bad Cop roared, and Business went white as a sheet. "I think it's a little _feckin'_ late for that! The one you _really_ need to be 'pologizing to is _dead!_"

Business tried to stammer something, but Bad Cop gave him a violent shake. "You _murdered_ him!" Bad Cop shouted. "And why? Because he wouldn't _Kragle_ _his own parents?_ I should kill you the way you killed him, ye pox-bottle!"

"Please-" Business tried desperately.

"_Please?_" Bad Cop screamed. "How many bloody times did _he_ say please? Perhaps you can refresh my memory, because _I_ lost count!"

A hand grabbed his shoulder. "Bad Cop," Benny said. "Let him go."

"No," Bad Cop growled. "I'm going to kill him."

Benny's grip tightened. "Let him go," he repeated. "This isn't you anymore."

Bad Cop could suddenly see himself, face twisted into an ugly snarl and murder in his eyes, towering over his former employer, who was so petrified that his legs had turned to jelly and was only still upright because Bad Cop was holding him up by the front of his coat. He saw himself again, holding some faceless Master Builder the same way, and again and again and-

He dropped Business like he'd been burned and took an unsteady step back. Business crumpled to the floor.

Still gripping Bad Cop's shoulder, Benny said to Business coldly, "I think you'd better go."

Business scrabbled backwards, scrambled to his feet, fled.

Bad Cop felt his knees go weak. The ground was tilting wildly under him. "Ben," he croaked. "I need. I need to go home."

"Yeah," Benny said, nodding, letting Bad Cop lean on him. "Yeah, buddy. Come on."

_Buddy_. Bad Cop's head was whirling, and he felt he might be sick. Benny helped him out to the car, slid him into the passengers seat, buckled him down, and got behind the wheel. The drive home was a blur, Bad Cop resting his forehead against the cool glass of the window as the city swept by without him really seeing it. He was vacantly conscious of Benny getting him into the elevator, walking him down the hall, opening his door for him.

Muddled awareness returned to him as Benny eased him onto the couch, and he clutched at the spaceman. "Ben," he gasped. "Benny. What if." His throat clenched. "What if I'd caught you? I could've. I almost did." His shoulders shook. "I hurt so many people. You." He was trembling all over now. "You could have been one of them."

Benny put one hand to the side of Bad Cop's face and ran his other through Bad Cop's hair. "But you didn't," he said softly. "And I wasn't."

Bad Cop grabbed Benny's wrists. "I'm a monster, Ben," he said. "I'd have killed him right there. And I'd have done it slowly. If you hadn't stopped me."

"Shush," Benny said. "You're not that person any more."

The room was blurry. Only Benny was in focus. At some point he'd taken his helmet off, and his frizzy hair floated about his head like a halo. "Aren't I?" Bad Cop whispered.

"You aren't," Benny insisted. "Remember what you told everyone earlier? Sometimes the only way to fix something up is to take it down and start from scratch. And I think that's what you're doing right now. You're restarting yourself from scratch."

Bad Cop's chest felt tight. "What about Good Cop? I can't-" He gulped down a breath. "I can't rebuild with half the pieces missing."

Benny looked like he might cry.

_-no Ben no don't cry over a miserable old monster like me please don't-_

"I wish I could tell you," Benny said wretchedly. "I wish I could help more."

Bad Cop felt like maybe laughing, on the verge of hysterics. Benny didn't think he was helping enough? He was helping more than Bad Cop had ever expected, ever _deserved_. "You're perfect, Ben," Bad Cop said hoarsely.

Benny went completely still, staring at him, and Bad Cop realized what he'd said. But he meant it, and so he let it hang in the air between them.

Moving closer, Benny rested his forehead against Bad Cop's. "I wish I was," he murmured.

They stayed like that for a moment, then Bad Cop tilted his head to the side a little, dipped down hesitantly. He swallowed. Benny was watching him, expression unreadable, but he wasn't moving away. In a moment of courage, Bad Cop closed the short distance between them and kissed Benny as hard as he could.


	14. Chapter 14

_THIS IS IT __THE LAST CHAPTER_

* * *

Bad Cop woke up slowly. He hadn't had any nightmares, for the first time in the last couple of weeks. Groggily, he reached up to rub his eyes and realized that one of his arms was pinned under something. Something warm.

Suddenly he was wide awake, and he turned his head to look. Benny was sleeping peacefully next to him, the side of his face smushed into the pillow, a small puddle of drool forming at the corner of his half-open mouth. He'd tangled himself around Bad Cop's left arm and leg. Early morning sunlight filtered in through the blinds. Bad Cop smiled to himself, calm settling over him.

Then he realized he needed to pee.

He disentangled himself from Benny as carefully as he could, trying not to wake the spaceman up. His efforts were successful. Benny stayed fast asleep, and Bad Cop slid out of bed, grabbing his boxers where they'd been discarded on the floor on his way to the bathroom.

As he washed his hands, he looked at Good Cop's cracked glasses, where he'd left them on the counter beside the sink. He wondered what his better half would think. Good Cop would probably rib him into next week. Wink, wink, nudge, nudge. Bad Cop wondered if Good Cop would feel the same way about Benny. He probably would. Good Cop fell in love easily. Affection came to him as naturally as breathing. That had never been the case for Bad Cop. The very few relationships they'd had in their lifetime had all been instigated by Good Cop, with Bad Cop just along for the ride, but Bad had never really minded that. Now Bad Cop was the one who'd made a relationship, and he thought maybe Good Cop would be proud.

Without really thinking about it, he picked up the glasses and slid them on, contemplating his reflection. They didn't actually _need_ glasses, but it made it easier to determine who was who. Bad Cop couldn't wear his sunglasses _all_ the time.

He tried smiling, but he couldn't match Good Cop's sunny grin. With a sigh, he took off the glasses and rubbed his thumb around the rim. "I wish you could be here, buddy," he murmured.

And he felt a response. It was dim and faint and wordless and he almost missed it, but it was there, really _there_. His heart leapt into his throat.

"Hey, Bad?"

Bad Cop yelped and the glasses slipped from his fingers, clattering into the sink. He whipped around, leaning back against the counter, chest heaving.

Benny looked alarmed. "Whoa, sorry, man," he said. "Didn't mean to startle you there." Then he saw Bad Cop's expression. "Are you okay?"

"I felt him," Bad Cop replied breathlessly. "He's alive, Ben." His legs shook, and the only thing supporting him was the counter behind him. "He's _alive_."

Benny's face lit up, and he pulled Bad Cop into a tight hug. Bad Cop sagged against him, whispering it over and over again, and Benny guided him back to the bed and sat him down. He took Bad Cop's face between his hands and looked him in the eyes. "How you feeling, dude?"

Bad Cop was smiling uncontrollably now, and he took Benny's hands in his and kissed him soundly. Benny leaned into him. After a long moment, they separated and Benny said with a grin, "I'll take that as a 'pretty good'."

Bad Cop nodded happily, and Benny put his arms around Bad Cop's neck, sitting on his lap. "I'm happy for you, man," Benny said. "Things are looking up, yeah?"

"Yeah," Bad Cop replied, wrapping his arms around Benny's waist. He fell backwards, dragging Benny with him. Benny let out a half-shriek, half-laugh as they tangled together again.

Later that morning, the phone rang a few times, probably the precinct wondering where they were, but it went ignored.

There was always tomorrow.

* * *

_update: t__he story isn't quite over yet! _go to my profile - there is a sequel in progress called Fall Awake.  



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